A Twist on Tradition

Every week, Jori Waskahat spends more than 40 hours weaving tiny beads into big creations. From earrings to necklaces to headpieces, his designs are a tribute to his Indigenous heritage and his love for art. Waskahat is based in Tornoto, Canada, and is a member of the Treaty 6 First Nations’ band Frog Lake First Nations.

For hundreds of years, Indigenous people have used beading to decorate their clothing and make jewelry and other accessories. Early beadworkers used organic material called sinew as thread to attach beads made of shells, nuts, and seeds to their clothing.

But today, people use modern thread and a rainbow of beads, leather, crystals, and gemstones. Beaded items are often included in a person’s regalia, which are outfits worn for dancing or ceremonies.

Jori Waskahat weaves tiny beads into big creations. He makes earrings, necklaces, headpieces, and more. His designs reflect his love for art and his Indigenous heritage. Waskahat is based in Toronto, Canada. He is a member of the Treaty 6 First Nations’ band Frog Lake First Nation.

For hundreds of years, Indigenous people have used beads to decorate clothing and accessories. Early artists used beads made of shells, nuts, and seeds. For thread, they used a natural material called sinew. Today, people use modern thread and multicolored beads, gemstones, and more.

Waskahat enjoys bridging tradition and his interests today. Some of his designs are inspired by video games like World of Warcraft, Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon. “Growing up, I played a lot of games, and I have a mixture of interests. I want my work to have a fun fantasy style,” he says.

One of his most popular series are three medallions with the Pokémon Vaporeon, Flareon, and Jolteon. (Flareon is shown above.) It took Waskahat about 70 hours to complete the set. Each medallion has more than 3,000 beads!

Beading isn’t easy, though it came naturally to Waskahat. He thinks he learned so quickly because he’s good at math. Beading requires a lot of counting, planning, and patience. He has to design patterns, figure out how to alternate the colors, count the beads, and make sure he can complete the patterns with his bead supply.

Although his materials can be expensive, Waskahat wants to keep creating fun pieces for young people to add to their regalia at an affordable cost. He tries to keep prices low and gives away pieces in contests and raffles. “It was hard for me to afford regalia as a kid,” he says. “So I want to make pieces like these that are usually so expensive accessible to kids.”

Beaded items are often included in an Indigenous person’s regalia. Regalia are traditional garments worn for dances or ceremonies. Waskahat enjoys using his interests with this tradition. Some of his designs are inspired by video games like World of Warcraft, Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon. “Growing up, I played a lot of games,” he says. “I want my work to have a fun fantasy style.”

One of his most popular works is a set of three medallions. They feature the Pokémon characters Vaporeon, Flareon, and Jolteon. (Flareon is shown above.) It took Waskahat about 70 hours to complete the set. Each medallion has more than 3,000 beads!

Beading isn’t easy. But Waskahat says it came naturally to him. He thinks he learned quickly because he’s good at math. Beading requires a lot of counting, planning, and patience. After designing a pattern, Waskahat has to figure out how many beads it will take. He also needs to plan how to use different colors. Then he makes sure he can complete the pattern with the beads he has.

Waskahat’s materials can be expensive. But he wants to create fun, affordable pieces for young people. He tries to keep prices low and often has giveaways. “It was hard for me to afford regalia as a kid,” he says. “So I want to make pieces like these accessible.”